Fused plug connector



p 1954 w. c. WHITAKER 2,676,223

FUSED PLUG CONNECTOR Filed June 29, 1951 Patented Apr. 20, 1954 UNITEDSTATES PATENT. OFFICE FUSED PLUG CONNECTOR Watford 0. Whitaker, Arcadia,Calif.

Application June 29, 1951, Serial No. 234,209

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to an electrical apparatus and more especially toa fusible electrical plug and receptacle.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple, practical andinexpensive combination plug and receptacle having fuse features.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fused plug andreceptacle having a novel form of replaceable fuse element.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a new plug andreceptacle for electrical appliances so constructed as to occupy aminimum of space when in use.

Other objects and advantages will appear and be brought out more fullyin the following specification, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawing.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a perspective view of a fused plug and receptacle embodyingthe invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an exploded View of the fuse and terminal elementsassociated therewith.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the numeral l designatesgenerally a combination plug and receptacle having a body I of anysuitable dielectric material, for instance, plastic and having flatfaces l2 and i3, respectively, disposed at right angles to each other.

The body II is formed with elongated cavities M and is extendinginwardly from face l2 and having slots 16 and I1 leading from the outerends of the cavities and opening through face l2. The body is alsoformed with a slot l8 leading from cavity M andL opening through face l3and a tubular cavity l9 communicates with and leading from the inner endof cavity I and opening through face l3. Cavity It has an enlargedportion 20 adjacent to face l3.

Cavities l4 and i5 provide seats for female electrical receptacleelectrodes 2| and 22 having plug receiving portions aligned with slotsis and I1 and a plug electrode 23 is positioned in slot H! and issuitably connected to the receptacle electrode M.

A flexible and resilient conductor tongue 24 extends from the receptacleelectrode 22 and has its inner end portion disposed across the tubularcavity IS. A sleeve 25 is tight fitted within bore 20 and has one ormore bayonet slots 26. A plug electrode 2'! has a cylindrical endportion 28 adapted to fit within sleeve 25 and carries one or moreradially extending pins 29 for engagement in the bayonet slots 26 ofsleeve 25. A

fuse 30 is positioned in cavity |9 and makes electrical contacts betweenend 28 of plug electrode 21 and the free end of tongue 24 carried by thereceptacle electrode 22. The resiliency of tongue 24 retains fuse 30 infirm contact with end portion 28 of plug electrode 21. The arrangementof bayonet slots and pins 29 is such that when the pin and slotengagement has been effected, the flat faces of plug electrodes 23 and27 will be in parallelism properly for reciprocal engagement.

In operation the plug electrodes may be plugged into any conventionalreceptacle and the receptacle portion of the invention, that is,receptacle electrodes 2! and 22 may receive the conventional applianceplug. In the event of an overload occurring in the appliance circuitcausing blowing of the fuse, the fuse 30 may be removed by a quarterturn of plug electrode 21, which releases the end portion 28 thereoffrom the sleeve 25 and permits the removal and replacement of the fuse.It will be observed that when the plug and receptacle :0 is connected ina wall receptacle, face it will be adjacent to the wall and thereceptacle electrodes 2| and 22 will be directed at right angles to plugelectrodes 23 and 21, so that plug electrodes of an appliance plug,engaging in the receptacle electrodes 2| and 22, will have its cordleading from the receptacle generally parallel to the wall and thereforea minimum of space is occupied by the plug and receptacle of thisinvention.

It will be seen upon reference to Figure 2, that in the structure of thepresent invention th resilient current conductor tongue 22, in additionto functioning as a current conducting means between the receptacleelectrode 22 and the plug electrode 27, also functions as a yieldablemeans for maintaining the cylindrical inner end portion 23 of the plugelectrode 2? tightly in position after the pins 29 have been engaged inthe bayonet slots 26. It will be apparent that in the insertion of theend portion 28, such end portion must first force the fuse element 3Ginwardly against the resilient conductor tongue 24 tension to hold theparts securely against movement.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferredform of this invention, it is to be understood that minor changes in thedetails of construction, combination and arrangement of parts may beresorted to Without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventionas claimed.

I claim:

In an electric plug connector, a body of an insulating material having apair of elongated parallel cavities within the same and communicatingwith slotted apertures opening through an end face thereof, one of saidcavities having a greater depth than that of the other cavity, resilientcontact elements housed within said cavities, said body also having atubular bore extending laterally outward from the inner end of said onecavity and opening through a side face of the body, a resilient tongueextending from the contact element within said one cavity and having itsfree end disposed across the inner end of said bore, said bore beingadapted to receive a fuse element therein with the inner end of theelement disposed in contact with said tongue, said body having acounter-bore in the said side face in concentric relation with respectto the first bore, a metallic sleeve provided with a bayonet slot tightfitted within said counter-bore, a plug electrode projecting laterallyoutward through said side face from the inner end of the contact elementwithin said other cavity, a second plug electrode, a cylindricalenlargement at the inner end of said second electrode seated in saidsleeve and against the outer end of the fuse element, and a pinprojecting radially from said enlargement for engagement with saidbayonet slot to effect the locking of said enlargement and theassociated electrode in place.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,847,172 Ciotta Mar. 1, 1932 1,922,948 I-Iannan, Jr. Aug. 15,1933 1,974,700 Adams Sept. 25, 1934 2,528,971 Philips Nov. 7, 19502,536,520 Tighe Jan. 2, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 920,345France Jan. 4, 1947

